For the first time in 20 years, Ghana will not be part of the roll of honor in Morocco when countries line up for the 2025 AFCON tournament.
Sad, yes. Unfortunate, truly but is it surprising? Of course not.
As it happened at King Belshazzar’s feast, the gods of football have written on the wall. In fact, they had been scribbling since 2017. That was the last time Ghana made the semis of an AFCON. Two years later, the team was bundled out in the last 16 by Tunisia.
However, instead of beginning a rebuild, we decided to throw blame on then head coach, Kwesi Appiah and the playing body. Granted, they were protagonists as well and they had to shoulder some of the responsibility for what had happened. But the episode ultimately did not change much.
Rather, we saw it as a blip and headed to Cameroon for the 2021 AFCON with intentions of righting the wrongs and going on a deep run in the competition. After all, that’s what we do. Another semi-final exit, we cry over the pain of coming close again and then, we come back for the next edition.
The writing on the wall got bigger and more legible after we were humbled in a 3-2 loss to Comoros. We only needed a point to make it to the last 16 but on the day, we looked out of sorts and tactically inferior to Comoros. Ghanaians started worrying big time because we had been making poor decisions in the lead-up to the tournament. We brought back Milovan Rajevac against better judgement and based on convenience. He looked at sea all through the competition and was a better fit for the now-famous “Ma Try Me Kw3” dig aimed at the previous head coach, Charles Akonnor.
Then, we took an injured Mubarak Wakaso who failed to get fit to play any games despite assurances from the medical team that he would make a recovery and be available for the Black Stars.
Fast Forward to the 2023 AFCON and we were no better. Public outcry forced camping bases to be switched from South Africa to Ghana and then, the football in Cote d’Ivoire was listless, poor and very unproductive. Ghana head coach, Chris Hughton, was far below the expected level needed at such an elite tournament and to make matters worse, below par player performances threw Ghana out of the tournament.
Now, we will not even get to be at the next AFCON. Why? Because we failed to read the writing on the wall and prepare adequately.
We wanted to eat a delicious AFCON cake but we deliberately bought bad ingredients namely a coach who did not have the CV to meet the demands of international football, his two novice assistants, a playing body without leaders and characters, a football association that has lacked purpose and direction and a sports Minister who lost his way from the very beginning of his tenure.
The result?
Ghana missing the flight to AFCON 2025 and a qualifying run that has ended up without Ghana getting any wins at all
Are we in a unique place? Not at all. Many countries have been in the pits before.
England failed to make the 2008 Euros, Germany and Spain fell at the first hurdle of Euro 2004 and Senegal could not get to the 2008 AFCON.
But the difference is that the above-mentioned countries admitted that there were issues, they were humble to sit and reflect and brave and willing to work.
What did they gain? Their football got better all across the board and most went on to win the biggest prizes.
Ghana has been given so many opportunities to pause, reflect and build again but those warnings have not been heeded. Instead, we have strengthened our resolve to walk away from what is required and expect success to chase us.
Impossible.
Nothing can replace hard work, accountability and planning. No football story has been written without these elements and that is what will happen until the end of time.
And let’s not think that the world is not watching. While Ghana FA’S website churns out stories and stories of Ghana’s 1-1 with Angola that read as though we are kings of the group and that we face Niger on Monday with the Black Stars sitting in a good place, everyone else is stunned by what we look like in football.
Pundits in the United States and renowned British football writer, Jonathan Wilson, have expressed their disbelief at the current state of the Black Stars.
So, what will be our response to the truth staring us in the face?
What do we say to the failure of not making AFCON 2025?
What do we do help this very talented iteration of the Black Stars who will be scarred forever due this embarrassing turn of events?
Will we win a couple of matches in 2025 and then, everything will be hunky-dory?
Or will we get bigger facilities, train coaches, develop players, and do the right things that proper football countries do?
I have lived in Ghana long enough to say that nothing is likely to happen and already, the signs are there.
The Ghana FA’s online portal has written stories from Ghana’s draw in Luanda but nothing has been said of the Nation’s no-show at the 2025 AFCON.
It will be business as usual.
Maybe an apology will come from the people responsible but it is more likely that other factors will be blamed for the disaster and not the guilty parties and those who have been very irresponsible and in Jonathan Wilson’s words “careless”
The question still stands.
What are we going to say to the truth that is sitting right before us?
We have been offered another opportunity by the universe to change our footballing ways.
We better take it. The abyss gets darker and deeper from this point onwards.
We must have a good response.
